Communist Party of Thailand

The Communist Party of Thailand was a communist political party that existed in Thailand from 1942 to 1991. The party's origins dated back to 1927, when communist activity was first reported in the country, and the party gained support during the Cold War as the result of spillover conflicts in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia. North Vietnam opened a training camp for CPT members in Hoa Binh in 1960, and 400 people were trained at the camp in that year alone. In 1965, the party began a "people's war" against the pro-West government, as the CPT opposed the American presence in the country. During the 1970s, the party received logistical support from China, which supported the CPT due to its alignment towards Maoism. After the massacre of Thammasat University students by the government on 6 October 1976, 1,000 students joined the party, including most campus representatives. The CPT insurgents were trained at camps in neighboring Laos, and the party's armed wing had a strength of 8,000 fighters by 1977. In 1980, the Thai government decided to grant amnesty to CPT cadres, and the party declared a ceasefire in 1983. The party was banned by the Thai government, and no activity was reported after the 1990s.